The city is considering contracting out 80 cleaning and maintenance positions at LRT stations.

Presumably a loss of unionized jobs would be met with a corresponding increase in employment in the private sector, but predictably, the city workers’ representatives are keen to forestall the move. In a three-week radio advertising campaign, Amalgamated Transit Union 583 argues the decision doesn’t make sense.

The union is right to make a ruckus over the proposal, of course. Doing any less would be failing dues-paying members who expect their union to go to bat for them.

Ordinary Calgarians may have less at stake in the debate, but they do expect city council members to make a decision in the best interest of taxpayers, while treating civic workers fairly and with dignity.

The city has been conducting a number of zero-based budget reviews, and the one that examined Calgary Transit’s operations identified $9.2 million in annual savings, including $2.7 million by outsourcing the janitorial and maintenance work.

“They look at the best practices from all over North America and have no vested interests other than delivering a report,” Coun. Ward Sutherland said this week of the consultant’s report, which was presented to council in June.

The councillor notes that if the city is to have any hope of keeping a lid on property tax increases, it must evaluate the structure of city services.

“We’re going to have to start deciding what services we should and should not be in,” said Sutherland.

These are important discussions to engage in. If public services can be delivered more cost-effectively by outside employees, that’s a compelling argument for considering contracting the work out. Presumably city workers and their union leaders anticipated that if wages and benefits continued to escalate, some people might start inquiring about value for money.

Neil McKinnon, ATU 583’s vice-president, questions whether the savings will be as great as expected in the privatization program. He also cites the performance of contractors who currently clean bus shelters, saying that his members are frequently required to complete the work.

“When the 311 calls go out, our people go out and clean them, it happens many times a day,” he said.

The union’s complaints shouldn’t prevent the city from outsourcing the jobs if it makes economic sense. City council has a duty to represent taxpayers, many of whom have lost their own jobs because of the recession that has roiled Calgary and its employers.

The union’s protestations do, however, compel council to ensure it’s convinced of the tangible benefits of a such move. It owes everybody at least that much.

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